Amalgamator.



G. R. DENNISON.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

34 ZQZQ ITNESSES: E 6? 6111 N m VENT R. C. 6? 06/70/600 THE NORRISPETERS (70., FI-iGm-LITHO.v WASHINGTON. D C.

0. R. DENNISON.

AMALGAMATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

[N VENTQR. 6506/70/60.

28 \7 WJTINESSES:

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTOLITHO. WAHHINGTON. D. C

GHARLES R. DENNISON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

allel s-1 cation.

To all whom it may concern: I V Be it knownthat 1, CHARLES R. D NNI-SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in thecounty of 'Maho'ning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Amalgas mators, of which the following is aspecifi- 3 ".This, invention relates to improvements in amalgamators andits principal object resides in the provision of a machinevo-f simpleconstruction which while having a large amalgamating surface, requiresin its opera- 'tion but a small quantity'of mercury for the-amalgamationof. all the values contained in thepulp under treatment. v A furtherobject of m'y invention resides in the provision of aretort in which the:mercurywcontained: in the amalgam dis charged. from the machine, isvaporized and from which it isreturnedlto the amalgamat- -ing element ofthe apparatus, and stillother {obj ects of n my inventionf'reside inconstructcontinuousaji l j j ingthe machine so asto r'enderthe amalga 5and access1ble,.and in providlng ZLSIlCtlOIl mating 1 element thereof,readily removable means which draws the pulp along the ,amalgamating'surfaces, and conveys thetailings to a pointlof; discharge, and whichthereby renders the process substantially drawings in the various viewsof which like parts are similarly designated, and in .which, .Figure 1vrepresents a vertical, longitudinal section throughthe apparatus,partially :in elevation, Fig. 2, a transverse section I taken-along the.linev 2,-2, Fig. .1,Fig. 3, a transverse section alongth'elinefl33,'Fig. j 1;, Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectionalong the line H,Fig. 2, drawn to an enlarged 1 scale, and liig 5,,la-section along theline 5-35,. Fig.12.

' Referring iportion supports a cylindrical conduit 4.

centric opening of smaller diameter which connects with a feed-chamber 5formed in.

the tank by means of a transverse partition.

6 anditconnects at its opposite endfwith annpright discharge flue 7through which the tailings are removed from thermachine.

, ,A spiral screw 8atthe end of a vertical Specification of LettersEatent. Application fiieajtmne 4, 1913. Serial No. 771,736.

, a, the awings by numerical reference characters, '2' designates aprefer-Q ably rectangular tank which in its bottom AMALGLAMATOR.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

end of the fiue to create by its rotary motion, a suction which willcause the tailings discharged from the cylinder to be drawn upwardlylnto the flue to an overflow point which is designated by the numeral 10in Fig. l. The lower portion. of the flue has .lnteriorly, an inwardlyprojecting spiral rib 12 which serves to'counteract the whirling motionimparted to the upwardly. drawn material bythe action ofthe screw, andwhich thus accelerates the flow of the mate rial to the point ofdischarge.

The cylindrical conduit 4 is dividedinto two sections the lower one 3 ofwhich is fixed in the tank, while the upper one 13 is'loosely supportedupon the edges ofthe lower section and held against lateral"displacement by means of flanges 14 which connect the, stationary part withthe longitudinal walls of the'tank.

shaft 9 is rotatably' disposed at the lower.

a The removable section of the cylinder cara rice at its ends by meansof radial spokes 15,

two bearings 16 for the support of a shaft 17 and the two sections ofthe tank are reinforced by means of, T-shaped hoops 18 which arelikewise divided into two parts. 1

The shaft 17 connects-at a point inside the feed'chamber by means of aclutch 19, with adriving shaft 20 which projects 7 :v t throughabearing21 applied in an open- Iattain the above statedobjects by the.*mechanism' illustrated in the'accompanying w re screen and which isfirmly secured to spokes 23-radiating from the'shaft and; at

s peripheral edges, to a surrounding cylin-- der24 which is made ofsimilar material.

- The perforated cylinder and screw mounted on the shaft "17 constitutethe amalgamating element of the apparatus which when the shaft isrotated, dips into a quantity of mercury contained in the bottom portionof, the cylindricalconduit, as is indicated at 25 in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

7 The crushed ore and water which in the form of a pulp are fed into thechamber 5, are by the rotary motion of the spiral screen and the suctioncreated by the screw 8,

drawn through the conduit into the flue 7 and in their course'throughthe conduitare continually brought in intimate contact.

The shaft whose longitudinal axis is coincident with that of thecylinder 4:, carries a double helical, screw-blade22 which is composedof with the surfaces of the amalgamating element and the mercury whichadheres there.- to, with the result that the latter amalgamates with themetallic values contained in a the pulp, while the tailings are drawnlIltO with the retort 28 shown in Fig. 2, in which it is subjected toartificial heat for the purpose of vaporizing the mercury whichsubsequently is returned to the cylinder e'through a pipe 29, which bymeans of a header 30 is connected with a plurality of openings in theremovable section of the conduit.

lVhilethe retort employed in cooperation with the amalgamating elementof my invention may be of any suitable construction, 1' preferably use adevice of the construc .tionillustrated in the drawings in which thepipe 31- through which the amalgam is removed from the conduit 4, andthe pipe 29 through which the volatilized mercuryis returned to thesame, are attached respectively to hollow heads 32 and 33 which areconnected by means of a plurality of tubes 34.

The structure composed of the heads and tubes is inclosed in a casing35' which at its lower end communicates by means of a duct '36 with asource of heat, as 'for example the exhaust pipe of a steam or internalcombustionengine used to operate the rotary elements of the amalgamator,and which at itsupper portion has an outlet 37 for the I discharge ofthe gases after they have com- -municated their heat to the contentsofthe structure into which the amalgam'is introduced. The mercurycontained in the amalgam :being volatilized by the heat of the gasesTmay be removed through flowing through the casing 35, is returned tothe conduit 4 of the amalgamator as'heremetal which was united'with themercury, falls into the lower head 82' from which it outlet pipe 38. a

When it is desired to examine or inspect the amalgamating element of theapparatus the same may readily be removed by disconmeeting the upperheaderBO from the pipe which connects it with the retort and lifting theupper section of the cylindrical conduit together with the shaft 17after the latter has been disconnected from the driving shaft by"separating the members of the clutch.

By bending either the revolving cylinder 24 or the lower half of theconduit l, the distance between the two is enlarged at the bottomportion of the latter as is indicated at 39 in Fig. 2, for the purposeof providing drical "casing, a: rotary, amalgamating'ele a valvecontrolled a clear space in which the amalgam may collect it before itis discharged through the outlets 26. I v

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secureby'Letters-Patentis:

1. An amalgamator comprising amercury container, a rotary amalgamatingelement disposed to move through mercury 1n sald contalner andcomposedof a shaft, acyl1nder concentric therewith and a'helical bladethezedges-of which. engage the surface of said shaft and the innersurface of said cylinder, whereby to dividethe space between the twointo a continuous spiral passage, the said cylinder and thezsaid bladebeing composed of foraminous material, means for teedmg ore into anendof saidcylmdenand meansfor the removal of tailings discharged .1

through its opposite end.

2. An-amalgamator comprising a mercury container, a rotary am'algamatingelement disposedfto move through mercury in said container andcomprising a continuous? spiral conduit of ioraminou's material, 'meansfor. feedingzore, into one end of sald conduit, and means forthejremoval of tailings discharged through the opposite endot the same.

3. ,An amalgainatorcomprising acylin ment disposed tojmove throughmercury contained in the bottom portion thereof and composed of acontinuous spiral conduitof foraminous material, means tor -feeding oreinto an end of, said conduit and meansfor the removal of tailingsdischarged through the opposite end of the same.

1 4. An amalgamator comprising cylin-" drical casing, a rotaryamalgamating element disposed to "movethrough mercury contained in thebottom portion thereof and composed of acontinuous' spiral conduit offoraminous'material, means forfeeding ore into an end of said conduitand means tor the removal of tailings discharged through the oppositeend of thesame, thesaid bottom portionjof the casing being spaced fromthe exterior surface of the said amalgamating. element to provide asettling space for the mercury.

5. An amalgamator comprisingj a cfontainer the bottom portion of whichconstitutes a settling space for mercury, and m i amalgamating elementof foraminous material rotatablymounted-in said container and providedwith means for conveying material from one of its ends to the other, thesaidv container having outlets for the discharge of amalgam from thesaid! space, and in its 'upperportion, inlets for the distribution ofmercury over the said rotary element.

6. Anamalgamator comprising a '*container, and anamalgamating elementrotatably mounted therein andcomposed of 3.

g the wall of said container. 15

constitutes a settling space for mercury, and

shaft, a cylinder concentric therewith, and a 7. An amalgamatorcomprising a cylin-v drical container, and a cylindrical amalgamatingelement rotatably mounted therein and comprising a continuous spiralconduit of foraminons material, the outer surface of said element moving1n close proximity to 8; An amalgamator comprising a cylindricalcontainer the bottom portion of which Copies of thls patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

a cylindrical amalgamating element of foraminous material mounted insaid container to move in close proximity to its peripheral wall andprovided with means for conveying material from one of its ends to theother, the said container having outlets for the discharge of amalgamfrom the said space, and in its upper portion, inlets for thedistribution 01: mercury over the said rotary element.

In testimonywhereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES R. DENNISON.

Witnesses:

,ABGJIER HYNDMAN, Rnr'os MILLER.

